Native American
Both the summer and winter solstices are celebrated by the Pueblo tribe. The rites are built around the sun, the coming of the new year, and the rebirth of vegetation. Some of the rites for this solstice were prayerstick making, altars, prayers, and retreats. The Natives have created countless stone structures in the past to detect the solstice.

Neopaganism
There are many differant groups of Neopagans one of which is Wicca. The Wiccan's celebrate the winter solstice which they call Yule. This is a time for introspection, and a time for planning for the future.

Ancient Egypt
On December 21st at midnight the God Man or Savior Osiris died and was entombed. The priests would come out of the inner shrine and cry out "The virgin has brought forth! The light is waxing" and they would show an image of a baby to all the worshipers.

Judaism
The Jewish people have an 8 day celebration called Hanukkah. This holliday recalls the war that was fought by the Maccabees for religious freedom. In the second century the King of Syria conquered Judea, and stoped the worship in the temple.
The King stole the sacred lamp called the menorah from the altar. When the solstice began they had redirected the temple to a pagan deity. A band of rebels lead by Judah the Maccabee succeded in retaking Jerusalem, and restoring the temple along with relighting the menorah. This was exactly 3 years after the flame was extenuished, during the time of the Pagan rite. Even though they only had enough oil to last for 24 hours, the flames burned for eight days.

Buddhism
December 8th or the Sunday that imediately follows the Bodhi Day is celebrated. This celebration recalls when Buddha achieved enlightenment.

Ancient Rome
A feast day for Saturn would begin on December 17th which is called Saturnalia. Ops was on December 19th, and they were later combined into a 2 day celebration. During the Empire, the festivals wouls last a week from December 17th to December 23rd.In the third century Emperor Aurelian blended a number of pagan nativity celebrations like god men, and saviors as Appolo, Baal, Dionysus, Helios, Hercules, Horus, and others into one festival that was called the Bithday of the Unconquered Sun, and this was celebrated on December 25th.

Differant Views
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam view time as linear, as it started with creation. They believe that the world will eventually end one day. The Neopagans, and Aboriginals believe that time is circular, and repetitive. The lunar is the monthly, and the solar is the yearly cyles.